Int’l Women’s Day: Youth Minister, NSC Chairman Eulogise Nigerian Women,
.. As Fame Foundation Annual Football Tourney Excites Arabinrin Aderonke
By Raphael Ekpang
Abuja (Core Reporters) The Honourable Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande and the Chairman National Sports Commission (NSC) Mallam Shehu Dikko have both commended the resilience of Nigerian women, saying that they are the beacons of hope in the country.
Both the minister and NSC Chairman graced the 2025 edition of the Fame International Women’s Day Football Tournament which took place in Area 3, playing ground in Garki Abuja.
The tournament was put together by the Fame Foundation to commemorate the International Women’s Day which is celebrated globally on March 8,under the campaign theme “Accelerate Action.” This campaign theme emphasises the urgent need to take decisive steps toward achieving gender equality, addressing the slow pace of progress, and empowering
However, the teams that participated in
the tournament on Friday include; Team FIDA, Team FAME, TEAM NUT, TEAM BET9ja, TEAM IDPS, TEAM FIRS and TEAM ProSocial.
The Minister In an interview with newsmen said, women are critical to nations’ building insisting that no society can’t exist without women as such we cannot ignore them. Adding that because of the importance of international women’s day he vacated his office for the Minister for state to take charge of activities of the ministry on Friday.
He said, “For you to know the importance of International Women’s Day, I vacated my seat in the office for the minister of state for youth development to take charge because it is their day.
Olawande noted that the Federal Government is ready and willing to identify th
ose organizing grassroots programs for the youths and women in particular.
“These are the kind of things we want in Nigeria, anything that will make the youths feel the government is what His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR want.
On his part, NSC Chairman Mallam Shehu Dikko said, women are the most critical people in the nation’s sports sector, saying that they have achieved more in sports than their men counterparts.
“We got our first Olympics Gold medal through a woman. Falcons have won a higher number of AFCON trophies than the Super Eagles, in athletics, basketball, badminton, para-sports and so on it is women so you see that female teams and athletes are bringing more glory and joy to the nation.
Dikko was proud of the founder of Fame Foundation Arabirin Aderonke who has done every possible within her reach to promote girl-child in her foundation. Adding that Ronke has been the product of sports , and the Commission will continue to support and collaborate with her as she digs deep into promoting the cause of a girl-child.
“The founder/CEO of Fame Foundation comes from sports so its our project and over the years we’ve been supporting her and we will keep supporting and collaborating with her foundation because what they are doing to our young girls is what many Nigerians and corporate organizations should be doing, “ Dikko endorsed.
However, Arabirin Aderonke Atoyebi expressed her gratitude to God who has guided her foundation throughout these years to this seventh edition of Fame International Women’s Day Football Tournament, stressing that it is their little way of celebrating Nigerian women.
She added that this year’s edition featured young women from all worth of live; Career women, market women, women from Internally Displaced Persons (IDP’s Camps) among others
She said, “We must celebrate our women because every day a woman is beaten, everyday a woman is denied her rights, everyday a woman is denied her leadership position and everyday a woman is facing one challenge or another.” she daid.
